We are starting a special Blogging Marathon this month. When we did our mega Marathon during April, it was fun and no sooner we finished, there was a general wish to do it again. So we all took polls on what we might want to do and everybody settled with a theme to do ABC Cooking, meaning each day cook a dish starting with each letter.

So this is going to be 26 days Marathon, each day dedicated to each letter from English Alphabets. What is BM without a twist right, so we made our lives, even more, harder, by picking up four themes that will have 6 posts for 3 themes and 1 theme with 8 posts.

I knew it was going to be hard, so I didn't want the themes to be fixed by week. However, there are some ardent and very creative bloggers like Vaishali, who has fixed her four weeks with each theme. There has been an enormous amount of off scene time spent on discussing and planning this mega marathon. I know I am going to enjoy it to the core, and I hope you will enjoy as well.

The new change in this marathon will be the Linky tool that I am hosting for each day. So you will get to read the other participating blogs for each specific letter.

It's going to 25 bloggers doing this Mega Marathon and it's going to be wonderful reading all of them.

I am starting my marathon with letter A dedicated to Aloo Batura

As you might know, fried dishes always have a special attachment. And when it comes to Indian Bread, Pooris, Luchis, and Baturas are my favourite. Of course not to mention Naan, Stuffed Parathas. Now you ask what I don't like right, well I like and prefer rotis than rice.

I love Baturas and my earliest memory of eating these beauties have been when Amma used to make for us on Sundays. A road down the memory lane, thinking about Baturas, gets me all nostalgic. Reading that post got me all teary, all those days came gushing forth, remembering the spinster life that vanishes before you even start to enjoy it. The good thing is, you still make baturas.

As always reading about how this gets cooked is very interesting. The leavening principle in making Bhatura, Kulcha, or American buttermilk-biscuit is same. The lactic acid in the yogurt reacts with baking soda to make dough light and rise. The baking powder helps continue the leavening during cooking.

This deep-fried bread is supposed to have originated from Punjab, normally served with Channa Masala. Now this is so widely available in all parts of India, that one no longer differentiate this dish. The maximum I remember eating this has been during our many visits to Tirumala, where this is a very popular dish, be it for breakfast or dinner. However, in many restaurants in South, this is served for dinner.

The sight that captures you most will be the size these baturas are made. And they stay puffed until it gets served to you. The moment of utter satisfaction comes when you hurriedly poke your finger in the middle and hot steam scalds your finger! Of course, everything forgotten the moment you tear a piece away and dip it gingerly into piping hot Chana masala. Aaww...the taste surely takes you to heaven.

So imagine combining two types of things that make up a fantasy, at least for a foodie like me. I love Aloo paratha and batura. Blending the aloo into the batura was ultimate. Not just plain, this recipe calls for the masala to be blended. The recipe is from my paper cutting filed up from The Hindu. This particular cook had shared many such interesting and tasty dishes.

I implore you to try these.

PS: I just noticed that I have about 68 recipes without counting the Dosas, under Indian Bread. This makes it 69th Bread, and I wonder why I still feel I can't decide what to cook! I must seriously go back and check them out..:)

Aloo Batura

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 2 medium

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cups

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp

Green chilies - 1 long

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Roasted Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Water - 1/2 cup or less

Oil for deep frying

How to prepare Aloo Batura

MW the potatoes for 4 -5 mins, to peel off the outer skin.

In a bowl, take all the ingredients and mash down the potato. Mix everything together and slowly add water to knead into a soft, yet stiff dough. Divide into equal balls and keep it covered.

Dust and roll out to discs as you do with your regular pooris.

Heat a Kadai with oil for frying and gently drop in the rolled out baturas and cook until golden brown.

Serve with Channa Masala

Notes:

As these are stuffed, you have to be extra careful not to put too much pressure on the baturas, else they will not puff up.

Also, the spice level can be increased accordingly. I saw that after frying the spice went down.